variable player powers

Build a galactic empire... In the depths of space, the alien races of the Cosmos vie with each other for control of the universe. Alliances form and shift from moment to moment, while cataclysmic battles send starships screaming into the warp. Players choose from dozens of alien races, each with its own unique power to further its efforts to build an empire that spans the galaxy.

Many classic aliens from earlier editions of this beloved game return, such as the Oracle, the Loser, and the Clone. Newly discovered aliens also join the fray, including Remora, Mite, and Tick-Tock. This classic game of alien politics returns from the warp once more.

In Cosmic Encounter, each player is the leader of an alien race. On a player's turn, he or she becomes the offense. The offense encounters another player on a planet by moving a group of his or her ships through the hyperspace gate to that planet. The offense draws from the destiny deck which contains colors, wilds and specials. He or she then takes the hyperspace gate and points at one planet in the system indicated by the drawn destiny card. The offense vs. the defenses ships are in the encounter and both sides are able to invite allies, play an encounter card as well as special cards to try and tip the encounter in their favor.

The object of the game is to establish colonies in other players' planetary systems. Players take turns trying to establish colonies. The winner(s) are the first player(s) to have five colonies on any planets outside his or her home system. A player does not need to have colonies in all of the systems, just colonies on five planets outside his or her home system. These colonies may all be in one system or scattered over multiple systems. The players must use force, cunning, and diplomacy to ensure their victory.

From Pyramid's Industry News, October 10, 2003:

Ideology is a 2-5 player game where each player symbolizes one of the 20th Century's most powerful Ideologies -- Capitalism, Islamic Fundamentalism, Imperialism, Communism, or Fascism. Starting with one global region completely under its sway, each Ideology attempts to influence and control the independent regions of the earth.

Each Ideology will use economic, cultural, and military influence to bring countries under control. If a player has influence in a country in which you have influence, you can both engage in economic, cultural, and military conflict (depending on your diplomatic stance toward each other) to knock out your opponent's influence. You can also purchase Advancements like Propaganda, Tactics, etc. to make it harder for an opponent to conflict you or to make it easier for you to influence a country.

The goal is to posses a Global Influence of 12 or more.

Components:
12" × 24" color world paper map (used as reference mostly.Deleted from the second edition)
5 Ideology cards
43 Region cards
225 Influence cards
85 Advancement cards
125+ counters

From Wizards of the Coast website:

A cooperative game of adventure for 1-5 players set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.

A heavy shadow falls across the land, cast by a dark spire that belches smoke and oozes fiery lava. A cave mouth leads to a maze of tunnels and chambers, and deep within this monster-infested labyrinth lurks the most terrifying creature of all: a red dragon!

Designed for 1-5 players, this boardgame features multiple scenarios, challenging quests, and cooperative game play.

Each player selects a hero; a rogue, thief, warrior, cleric, or wizard. On their turn, each player can explore further into the dungeon (turn over new tiles), move through the already explored parts of the dungeon, and fight monsters. When a new dungeon tile is revealed, there is typically an encounter of some sort, and new monsters to fight are added. Slain monsters reward the players with treasure, and experience points, allowing them to level up and increase their skills during play. Players must cooperate to stay alive, slay the monsters, and achieve the goal of their quest. Each scenario has a different goal - from retrieving a relic, to slaying a vampire lord.

Shattered Kingdom ... features hundreds of new cards, both expanding the original game and introducing a few new concepts. A new item deck rewards characters with exciting trinkets and artifacts. A new quest deck puts a bounty on independent creatures, rewarding characters who defeat them. Each class deck also receives 10 new powers and 10 new talents, further developing each character's arsenal of unique abilities and customization. Each Overlord also receives special cards that are shuffled into the event deck, and these cards make them even more dangerous throughout the game.

(First announcement by the publisher; from FFG-Website)

Expands:

World of Warcraft: The Boardgame

Runewars is an epic board game of conquest, adventure, and fantasy empires for two to four players. Runewars pits players against each other in a strategic game of battles and area control, where they must gather resources, raise armies, and lay siege to heavily fortified cities.

Runewars takes place in the same popular fantasy universe as the board games Runebound, Descent: Journeys in the Dark and Rune Age, and dozens of fan-favorite heroes and monsters play their part. The wars for the dragon runes are beginning, and only one faction will emerge victorious.